Attention Deficit Disorders

Attention Deficit Disorders
Getting at the truth about ADD/ADHD

ADD is a complex disorder affecting between 6 and 10% of the general population. It disrupts home environment and school classrooms. And the problem is increasing. It cannot be diagnosed by casual observation or a seven minute visit to the family physician, yet 3% of all school age children in the USA take Ritalin (methylphenidate) and collectively spend over $5 billion dollars on it. And it does not cure the problem. Here is what Dr. Robert W. Hill, Ph.D. wrote about it:

            A typical scenario in our society is that Johnny is disruptive in class so the teacher tells the parents, "He needs to be on Ritalin." The busy parents, both of whom work, take Johnny to the over-worked pediatrician. They describe Johnny's disruptive behavior, poor attention skills, and bad grades. Johnny is placed on Ritalin. Johnny's behavior changes enough to be noticed. The teacher is happy because Johnny is easier to handle in her overcrowded classroom. The parents have acted responsibly by getting their child the medical help needed. The pediatrician has offered Johnny the treatment most often prescribed for the presented symptoms.
           We see this scenario over and over--children being prescribed Ritalin to treat symptoms while nothing is offered for the cause. But what about Johnny? Is he really ADD? Is he being helped by this treatment or have we just put a Band-Aid on a serious problem?
                                  [Getting Rid of Ritalin, ©2002 by Eduardo Castro, M.D. and Robert W. Hill, Ph.D., p 2]

What it is NOT

	It is not a disease. Ritalin or any other of the prescribed drugs will not cure it.
	It is not a new disorder. It was described in medical journals over 100 years ago. Stimulants have been used to treat it since 1937 and Ritalin since 1951.
	It is not caused by bad parenting although parents can be taught to do much to reduce the effects of the disorder.
	It is not a disorder that just means the affected patient should just try harder to be in control. Many times the patients are trying as best they can.
	People don't just "outgrow" the disorder, although as patients get older, and the frontal cortex of the brain matures, some patients learn how to control their problems better.
	It is not a trivial issue. - 35% of people with this disorder do not finish High School and so slip into poverty or poor income jobs - People with this disorder have twice as many medical problems as the general population - 43% of boys who are untreated with this disorder get arrested for felony - 75% of boys and men arrested for violent crimes have been diagnosed with this disorder - 75% of people with this disorder have serious interpersonal problems.

What it IS

	It is a serious disorder that causes: Short attention span, easy distractibility, disorganization, poor follow-thru, reduction of resistance to disease and even reduced life span.
	There appear to be multiple causes. Much more study is being done to narrow down the focus, but here are the prominent features that play a part in the occurrence of the disorder: Genetics -- In many cases, one or more parents also have the disorder. Chronic stress particularly in a family situation where noise and chaos, marital discord and strife are the everyday mode. Brain injury that may even have seemed trivial at the time can cause ADD-type behavior later in life. Birth trauma which resulted in oxygen deprivation or forceps delivery have resulted in ADD-type behavior later in life. Certain environmental influences such as toxins like lead or dioxins, synthetic substances like aspartame found in some foods labeled "sugar free", or over stimulation from too much television, and too much time spent with video games cannot be ruled out as aggravating the disorder.
	It is a brain disorder described as "low-arousal." What that means is that hyperactive children are not very awake or aware of what is going on around them, so they move around a lot to wake up to what is going on around them. What that means is that one or more of the causes mentioned above have caused the activity of the brain to operate too slowly. A person can be more aware of surroundings, more in control, more able to think, reason, communicate and live with happier relationships with others if the brain can be waked up. That is why Ritalin and other stimulants seem to help a person with this disorder.

How Do You Get Off the ADD Treadmill?

Not just by giving the patient Ritalin or any of the other several substitute stimulants. They may make a child more pliable in the classroom and the home, but not even the drug manufacturers claim they have a cure. Side effects include insomnia, loss of appetite, delay in growth, stomachaches and headaches, depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings and increased heart rates. So doctors then have to prescribe anti-depressants and tranquilizers to off-set the side-effects. We have a child drug dependent, who does not feel like himself or herself and is showing no long term improvement potential.

And what about the long term effects of prolonged use? No one knows, but many doctors and psychotherapists are concerned.

THE GOOD NEWS IS, THERE IS HELP!

The program I recommend has as its goal to get your patient leading a happier more productive life (finishing tasks like homework, relating better to others, not being belligerent or antagonizing, being better organized, not interrupting) and to get your patient off drugs.

Here is an outline of the program I will use:

	Perform a preliminary assessment to determine the probability that your patient has one of the two common types of attention deficit disorders. If these disorders are ruled out, We will either refer you to another specialist or describe a different treatment modality for the patient.
	If a patient is determined to have a high probability of attention deficit disorder, WeI will conduct a Neurofeedback analysis to determine precisely what the disorder is and how to treat it.
	The results of the Neurofeedback analysis will be used to guide me in the description of a program of treatment which will include the following features: 1. Counseling and education for the entire family and the patient into the cause of Attention Deficit Disorder 2. Counseling with the parents or guardians on how to parent a patient with attention disorder 3. Counseling with the parents or guardians on diet for a patient with deficit disorder
	4. Neurofeedback training with the patient

What is Neurofeedback?

Neurofeedback training is a process that teaches the client how to remove some or all of the causes of attention deficit problems thus relieving the symptoms and the troublesome behavior and gradually eliminating the need for drugs.

We have secured the latest, most sophisticated equipment for Neurofeedback training and have a staff trained to administer the treatment.

Here are some of the features of the process:

	The process is absolutely safe. No one can be harmed.
	Unlike a medical treatment plan, the patient is in charge of his or her own improvement.
	Progress is measured and reported regularly to the patient and to his sponsors so they can see what progress is being realized.
	Unlike drug therapy, there is an end to it. Patients do not need to continue when they have achieved their own goals for improvement in their behavior.
	Patients will experience a strong boost in their self-esteem.

(Click here for more details on Neurofeedback therapy)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

"A Symphony in the Brain" by Jim Robbins, Grove Press, 2000.
"Getting Rid of Ritalin" by Robert W. Hill, Ph.D. and Eduardo Castro, M.D., Hampton Roads Publishing Co., Inc. 2002.
"The ADD Answer" by Frank Lawlis, Ph.D., The Penguin Group, 2004.

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